This invention relates to laminated products or constructions and their method of making, and, in particular, relates to trim strips or moldings made therefrom which are adapted for attachment to automobiles or other vehicles for decorative and protective purposes. Trim strips or moldings made in accordance with this invention are attractive in appearance and can serve a protective function as, for example, body side molding on an automobile. Yet the molding can be economically manufactured. As used hereinafter, the term "molding" will be used with the understanding that it broadly includes molding strips, trim strips and the like.
Automotive moldings are well known and have been used for many years to improve the appearance and protect the bodies of automotive vehicles. In recent years there has been increasing use of plastic materials in the manufacture of moldings. While such moldings offer satisfactory performance and appearance characteristics, there is a continuing need for improved moldings incorporating various plastic materials. Thus, it would be desirable to have a molding comprised of a body of extruded polyvinylchloride which is a conventional and economical molding material and a cover of extruded ionomer resin which has characteristics of toughness, resiliency and resistance to solvents, abrasion, weathering and cracking desirable in a molding. In addition, it would be desirable to have a molding of a polyvinylchloride body and an ionomer resin cover with a metallic appearing decorative strip sandwiched and encapsulated therebetween. Such a molding would maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages of using each material.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to extrude a molding of a body of polyvinylchloride and a cover of ionomer resin with good bonding therebetween. This is due in part to the chemical incompatibility of the two resins and in part to the relatively thick and/or complex cross-sectional shapes of moldings.
Although it has been found to be difficult to laminate dissimilar layers such as polyvinylchloride and ionomer resin using the usual extrusion techniques employed in plastic molding technology, the present invention provides a laminate construction in which the lamination of such extruded layers is facilitated by interposing a tie sheet therebetween. The tie sheet comprises a laminate of a first layer comprising a material compatible with one extruded layer body and a second layer comprising a material compatible with the other extruder layer. By the term "compatible" it is meant that the one material will bond to the other material using conventional extrusion lamination techniques involving heat .